'Scary' A9 Ralia junction with untended 30ft trees
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Parents are 'genuinely scared' to take their children to and from school because of the 'scandalous' state of one of the A9's most notorious accident blackspot, it is being claimed.
A9 campaigners have said that Ralia junction is even more treacherous than usual because contractors have ignored safety calls to trim back overgrown trees to improve sight lines for motorists joining the fast section of road.
However, Transport Scotland insists Bear Scotland has carried out an inspection at the junction by Newtonmore and 'found the visibility to the south to be in line with relevant standards for a 60mph speed limit'.
The latest accident occurred last Thursday afternoon when a 69-year-old woman sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries in a three-vehicle crash.
Three American tourists – Kathryn Bastion-Strong (46), her brother Jared Bastion (45) and their 75-year-old mother Mary-Lou Mauch – were killed after a car and a lorry collided in mid-August, last year, at the same spot.
At nearby Invernahavon, Norman Campbell, said: "We're running the gauntlet here now. It's way, way beyond a joke, feeling we're taking our lives in our hands every time we go shopping or deliver our children to school.
"These trees are not being maintained and are now 30 feet tall and growing.
"It's the responsibility of the roads authorities to stop the encroachment but they won't do it. The trees just go on obscuring the visibility at a notorious junction."
Local Highland councillor Russell Jones agreed: "Last Thursday we had yet another accident – how many more before they take action?
"I have had local people phoning me with real anger aimed at Bear Scotland for not cutting these trees back.
"One told me they are so overgrown now that Bear have cut a swathe in to them so the road signs can be seen but still no action to fell them.
"Local people who have to use this junction are genuinely scared to take their children to and from school each day – this is a scandalous state of affairs."
He added: "Apart from the obvious distress, suffering and worse these accidents cause to those involved, the traffic diversions through Badenoch cause gridlock in our towns and villages.
"This comes almost exactly a year after the last time the diversion through Kingussie, Newtonmore, Laggan and Dalwhinnie was used with the same result."
Strathspey MSP Fergus Ewing (SNP) is already at odds with his own government over broken promises on the upgrade of the A9.
Calling for urgent action at Ralia, he said: "Transport Minister Mairi McAllan admits that the A9 is not fit for purpose.
"The biggest danger on the single carriageway sections are the junctions where vehicles joining the A9 have to cut across the flow of traffic to join their lane.
"Unfortunately we have five of these in Badenoch and Strathspey. We are all aware of their numerous tragic accidents over the years and they all need to be urgently upgraded.
"However, at the moment Ralia is probably more dangerous due to the lack of maintenance of sight lines for vehicles joining the A9. The trees are massive now and the whole lot need to be felled.
"It is very hard to judge the speed and distance of oncoming traffic and even if it is clear as far as you can see slower, larger vehicles will still struggle to make it across the carriageway before a northbound vehicle is closing in at 60mph."
Mr Ewing pointed out BEAR Scotland were called on to fell the trees at a meeting last September but they had only pruned a few branches.
"As the trunk roads contractor, BEAR cannot be held responsible for the dangerous road and even more dangerous junctions but they can and should be held responsible for not maintaining sight lines at these junctions.
"Transport Scotland should also look at more signage, ideally in a variety of languages, and bolder brighter road markings at these junctions."
Transport Scotland provided a lengthy response but only a short excerpt at the end was specific to the danger junction.
A spokesman said: “Bear Scotland has measured the visibility from the B9150 Ralia junction and found the visibility to the south to be in line with relevant standards for a 60 mph speed limit.”
Elsewhere it read: “To see lives cut short because of road accidents is deeply unfair and it is our view that road casualties are avoidable and can be stopped. One death on our roads is simply one too many.
“Road safety remains an absolute priority and we are determined that we continue to make investments which support our Road Safety Framework to 2030 which sets out our vision for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030 and an ambitious long term goal where no one is seriously injured or killed on our roads by 2050.
“In December last year, the Transport Minister also announced investment of approximately £5m for additional road safety measures for the A9. These are now being implemented as confirmed at the recent meeting A9 Safety Group.
“These measures include enhancements to signing and road markings and installation of eight electronic signs to display safety messages at key locations between Perth and Inverness.
"Casualty reduction schemes at Ballinluig, Bruar and Ralia junctions, with a total investment of around £100,000 in new signing and road markings have been completed.
“Ongoing monitoring of road safety performance will continue to identify locations prioritised for road safety investigation and, if appropriate, interventions.
"In the current financial year, investigations are being carried out at the B851 (Croy) and B9152 (Lynwilg) junctions. The recommendations of these investigations will be considered and prioritised against other commitments in the North West Trunk Road Unit.
"Any recommendations progressed will be deployed as soon as resources allow."
A spokesperson for BEAR Scotland said: “We cannot comment on specific incidents.
"However, we do measure visibility routinely and this includes the B9150 Ralia junction. We have measured the visibility from this junction and found the visibility to the south to be in line with relevant standards for a 60 mph speed limit."
